A Rungus mum’s daily challenge
Published on: Thursday, November 21, 2019
By: Lorena Binisol
.jpg "A Rungus mum’s daily challenge")
KOTA KINABALU: Hasiah Mongunjim despite her own health issues has not only to cope with a bedridden husband, the breadwinner who is no longer employable, but also severely physically handicapped children.
Adding to the misery is the memory of her eldest son, Cherisaflix, who passed away at 15 in December 2015.
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Living in Kg Lajung, Kudat, Hasiah, 53, a Rungus has been looking after her two children, Chrestella (20) and Cirinstella (14).
Both were born not physically normal while her husband, Liun Owong, 50, suffered from FAR’s disease and has been bedridden for almost a decade.
They depend on the monthly financial assistance of RM950 from the Kudat Welfare Department since Hasiah is unable to work as she needs to give full attention to all three family members.
From cleaning to wiping, feeding, clothing literally every activity is done by Hasiah to keep her family get by every single day. Sometimes she feels exhausted but she puts aside her own struggle.
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“Sometimes I get assistance from my in-laws to look after my husband when I really need to give my attention to my two children.
They totally cannot do anything by themselves. They can’t even utter a word and depend on me for every single daily activity” she said.
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She singlehandedly manages her children’s medical appointments in Likas hospital every two to three months. Daily Express met her recently while bringing her youngest daughter, Cirinstella, for her routine treatment at Likas Hospital.
She said since her children were small (babies) been coming in and out of Likas Hospital for the past 20 years. Her older daughter, Chrestella (20), cannot swallow solid food and depend on tube to feed soft food like porridge or liquid.
“Chrestella has problem with swallowing food so I have to feed her through her nose with tube,” Hasiah said.
The RM950 financial aid from the government, is not sufficient to cover their family’s monthly expenses as items such as pampers, milk powder and food are not cheap nowadays.
She would need extra spending whenever she needs to bring her children and husband for medical treatment for transportation fees and other necessary expenses.
Hasiah herself is suffering from spinal pain and hyper thyroid, but getting treatment at Kudat hospital.
She said her husband’s sickness is rare and she does not really understand how he contracted the disease.
“The doctor wrote in the paper ‘FAR’s disease’ which I do not understand but I saw my husband’s condition gradually deteriorating. In the end, he became bedridden nine years ago,” she related.
A few years ago, a friend tried to help her arrange for Astro to visit her family and her predicament could be aired on television in order to get some kind of assistance. However, it never materialised.
There are moments she did not have enough money for her family’s daily needs and would call friends who sympathise with her situation.
“There are friends who are quick to response to my plea, but how long can I depend on them. I know they are struggling with their own predicaments too,” she said.
She said the most needed items were pampers (diapers) and milk powder (Nespray) and other essential food for the family.
“With the RM950, I really have to squeeze everything and sometimes when I don’t have enough I would call Kathy (a good Samaritan) from KK to help me with some emergency cash to buy urgent items,” she revealed. There were times when she was too exhausted, she would ask her aging mother who is almost 80 to help look after her children.
“I have no choice but to get my mother who is also sickly to help me sometimes. I guess I have to tolerate with the challenges I am facing with open heart my love for my children is something sacred and that keeps me going,” she said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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